Saturday 12th December – Göreme

A breakfast in Turkey that actually has cereals! The hotel does a superb buffet breakfast, with all the normal options we’ve become used to this last month plus loads of extras, including a wide variety of dried fruit and several types of cereal (I liked the chocolate coated ones, but don’t tell Anne).

Overcast and breezy, but the forecast rain held off until 1500 so we enjoyed a mostly dry day wandering around the Göreme Open Air Museum in the morning and the Devrent Valley in the afternoon.  The former consists of a number of rock-cut churches dating from the 11th century AD, many with impressive frescoes

or simpler red-ochre daubs.

There are also various other cave dwellings including a refectory with a long rock dining table and benches,

storage rooms

and homes.

After a quick pide for lunch in Göreme we drove to Devrent Valley where some of the best formed volcanic cones are densely clustered,

a sight that makes you stop and stare.

We eventually regained movement and climbed up through the rocks for panoramic views down the valley,

venturing up into a cave house high on the valley side.

No doubt Sarah and friends or Bob and Charles could have scaled the rocks quicker than we could, climbing skills would definitely come in handy around here to get at the more inaccessible rock houses.

 
En route we stopped off at Pasabag to look at the mushroom shaped fairy chimneys which were originally inhabited by monks.

Wooden steps were required to enter the chapel.

Cappadocia is incredible; it definitely tops our list of favourite places we’ve visited (even the annoying coach parties getting in our way a bit today couldn’t take away from the amazing scenery!).